Feb. 15, 2014

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Seventh ranked South Carolina tallied 12 hits off the bats of seven different players including a 3-for-4 game from Tanner English who tripled and drove in a career-high five runs as the Gamecocks earned a 12-2 victory over Bucknell to sweep a doubleheader and clinch the series against the Bison.

Sophomore right fielder Connor Bright went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and three runs scored. Junior catcher Grayson Greiner accounted for a pair of RBI and two hits as well while Joey Pankake and DC Arendas each scored a pair of runs.

South Carolina sophomore left-hander Jack Wynkoop earned the win in his first start of the year. He worked five innings and allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and a career-high six strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander Curt Britt added 2.1 scoreless innings of relief allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three batters. Bucknell starting pitcher Dan Weigel worked four-plus innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

The Gamecocks broke ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. After drawing four walks in the first game of the doubleheader, Max Schrock found his way on base again with a one-out walk. He would advance to third base on a throwing error by Bucknell third baseman Will Mooney and score on Kyle Martin’s RBI sacrifice fly to center.

South Carolina extended the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second. Connor Bright opened the frame with a double. With one out and runners on the corners, Tanner English drove in Bright with a base hit down the left field line. Marcus Mooney followed with a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt allowing DC Arendas to score. Schrock added a RBI single to score English.

Bucknell cut the Gamecock lead in half in the third inning. Corey Furman hit a solo homer and Jon Mayer tallied a RBI double to bring the Bison within a pair of runs.

South Carolina chased Weigel in the bottom of the fifth inning. Joey Pankake reached base with an infield single and Kyle Martin walked to put a pair of runners on base with no outs. After a wild pitch advanced both into scoring position, Grayson Greiner crushed a double off the wall in center field scoring both and putting Carolina in front by four runs.

The Gamecocks increased their lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the seventh after a pair of walks to Bright and Arendas and a two-run triple off the bat of Tanner English.

South Carolina added four more runs in the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded, Bright knocked 0-2 pitch to right field for a base hit that drove in both Pankake and Martin. Arendas drew a two-out walk that loaded the bases and set the stage for English who singled to gap in left-center, brining home Greiner and Bright.

South Carolina and Bucknell close out the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Carolina Stadium with first pitch set for 12:30 p.m. Live video broadcast is available at GamecocksOnline.com. The game can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network including flagship station 107.5 FM, “The Game,” with Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody on the call.